Improvement in ventilation and disinfection of buildings



w. H. BENNETT. VENTILA'I'ION AND DISINFEC-TION OF BUILDINGS.

No 191,51Z. PatentedJune 5.1877.

i UNITED STATES ENT WILLIAM H. BENNETT, OF BROOK LYN ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO ENOOH RUTZLER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN VENTILATION AND DlSINFECTlON OF BUILDINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l9l,5fl2, dated June 5,1877; application filed April 7, 1 77.

To all whom 't may concw:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. BENNETT, physician, of the city ofBrooklyn, county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in, and Apparatus for, the Ventilation andDisinfection ot' Houses, Buildings, and Apartments, of which thefollowing is .a full and accurate description of my invention, and suchas will enable others skilled in the art to make and operate it,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which like letters of reference make the correspondingparts in the figures.

My invention is particularly applicable to cleansing and disinfectingthe air which enters apartments through the cold-air boxes, when saidapartments are heated by hotair furnaces, or by steam by the methodknown as indirect radiation.

Figure 1 is a perpendicular section of my invention. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal section or plan View of the same.

A represents the outer portion of the coldair box, through which theouter, air communicates with the heater. B represents the inner portionof the same. O is a water-tank, attached to the under side of thecold-air box, and'placed at any convenient position therein between theopening to the outer air and the chamber where the air is heated. d, d',and d" are partitions, which run downward from the top of that portionof the cold-air box that -covers the tank into the same to a point oneinch below the plane of the bottom of the cold-air box A and B. Ofcourse this distance may be varied, but experiment has proved *that thisdistance works well and is much preferable. e and e' are partitons,which project upward from near the bottom of the tank to points situatedone inch above the plane of the floor of the cold-air box A and B.

This distance, also, may be varied but l find, as in the above instance,it is to be preferred.

These partitions e and e' do not touch the bottom of the tank C, (seeFig. 2,) or otherwise, so long as an opening is left, which will permitthe water contained in said tank to flow freely and circulate beneath orthrough them, so as to obviate the necessity of filling each compartmentseparately.

The partition d should beat such a distance from the partition e, andfrom the end of the cold-air box A, that the area of the air-spacebetween air-box A and partition d, and between partitions d and e,substantially equals the area of a transverse section of the airspace inthe cold-air box, in order that the current of air may pass Withoutconstriction. The distance from e to d', and generally the distancesbetween the partitions, no matter how numerous they may be, isdetermined in like manner, and, tlerefore, equals the distance betweenthe partitions d and e.

W is the water with which the tank is par tially filled. f is awaste-pipe, furnished with a stop-cock, through which the fluid may bedrawn off from the tank at Will. This may be connected with sewer ornot, as preferred. g is a supply-pipe, by means of which the tank may beconvenietly supplied With water, though the same may be dispensed with,and the tank filled through a hole or door in the cover of the tank. his a small hole or escape, supplied with a stopcock or not, aspreferred, to give notice, by the escape of water therefrom, when thetank is sufficiently full.

The position of waste-pipe f may be changed and a simple hole opened andclosed with a cork, or by other means, substituted.

The object of this system of stop-cocks or orifices is to provide amethod by which the water in the tank may be kept at a proper level asthe same evaporates, and the tank washed free from the accumulatiou ofdeposit from time to time.

A dozen difierent methods of accompl'shing this would suggest themselvesto any practical plumber in a moment, and I have only given the above asconvenient and effective methods of accomplishing that result.

The position of orifiee'or outlet h and height of the surface of thewater may be determined thus: The tank should be filled until the spacebetween the bottoms of the partitions d, d', and'd" and the surface ofthe fluid equals in area the cold-air box proper A B, so that tlecurrent of air will pass without constriction, and at that height theorifice or outlet h should be placed.

The area ot' cold-air boxes ditl'ers so greatly that no more preciserule can be given.

The arrows in Fig. 1 denote the direction taken by the current of airfrom out of doors as it enters the cold-air box at the end most distantfrom the heater, and is drawn along by the partial vacuum created in thebottom of the heater by the rapid escape of leated air at the topthrough the hot-air pipes.

The mode of operation of my device is as follows:

The outer air, coming through the air-box A in the direction of thearrow, strikes the first partition d. It is then deflected downward,losing a portion of its suspended matter. When it reacles partition eits course is turned pward. then over partition e, and along thecold-air box until it reaches partition d', when its course is againturned downward upon the surface of the fluid. It then loses still moreof its suspended matter. and so on, until all the partitions are passedand it enters box B, greatly purifiel and cleansed, on its Way to theheater.

A second apparatus nay be applied to the hot-air pipes leading from theheater, which, if done, will cleanse and purify the air still morethoroughly, and prevent the transnission of dust and ashes taken fromthe hcater itself.

A further and important advantage may thus be secnred, to wit: The hotair, passing over and impinging on the surface of the water in the tank,will evaporate the same quite rapidly, thereby moistening the ar andrendering any Water-pan in the heater quite unnecessary. Moreover, thevapor of the water will keep the partitions aforesaid quite most,greatly aiding them in entrapping matter suspended in the hot air. Thenoisture will constantly drip from said partitions, washing with it thedeposit, and keeping them quite clean.

It is obvious that the longer the tank G, and the more numerous the saidpartitions, the more completely will the hot air passing through thesame be purified; but, under ordinary conditions, the number shown inthe drawing will be found to answer the purpose; but when the sourcefrom which the supply of air is drawn is unusually burdened with foreignmatter, the length of the tank and the number of partitions should beincreased.

It is advisable, though not necessary, to make the tank C wider than thecold-air box proper A B, for thus the distance between the bottom of thepartitions d, d', and d" and the surface of the water may be diminishedand still have an aperture of the same area in square inches as thecold-air box. Thus the current of air is not constricted, though compelled to pass in a tlinner stratum over the surface of the fluid-inother words, the space above the surface of the fluid is diminishedvertically, while it is increased transversely.

If that portion of coldair box over tank is expanded to the width of thetank, a better result will he had.

The necessity of the partitions d, d', and d, and e and e', may be thusavoided: widen the water-tank and that portion of the coldair box incontact therewith, and bring down that portion of the cold-air box whichcovers said tank until the same approaches elosely the surface of thewater, so that the air must pass over said surface in a thin stratum.

Though this method of construction will accomplish the result to acertain extent, still it does not bring every particle of air in con'tact with the surface of the water, as do the partitions, and it is,therefore, not as perfect in its operation. Should it, however, beemployed, care must be taken that the area of the space between thesurface of the water and that portion of the cold-air box forming itscover, is substantially equal to the area of the passage in the cold-airbox, so that the current of air is not constricted.

The disinfection of the air is accomplished by adding to the water inthe tank or tanks a small quantity of carbolic acid, (in the proportionof from one to four fluid drams or teaspoonfuls to the gallon of water,)or other volatile disinfectant which will mix with the water, vaporizewith it, and by the current of air will be carried to every apartment towhich said currents have access.

The medical profession regard it as proved beyond dispute that many ofthe gravest diseases (especially those of a contagious or infectiouscharacter) to which man is subject, are spread, and the infecton is.borne, by and through the air.

My in vention, when applied as a disinfector, will be found a preventiveto a great extent. This, I claim, would be of inestimable value inhospitals as well as in houses where contagious or infectious disease ispresent, thus directly tending to improve the sanitary condition of alllarge cities and towns, to reduce to a minimum the occurrence ofcontagious disease, and to reduce materially the rate of mortality.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

The tank G, having the partitions d, d and d", with or withoutpartitions e and e', or the equivalent of said partitions, hereinheforeset forth, the Waste-pipe f, supply-pipe g, and the escape h, incombination with the cold-air box or air-supply pipe of a hot-airfurnace or steam-heater, where the method known as indirect radiation isemployed, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing improvement in the ventilationand disinfection of buildings, 860., as above described, I have hereuntoset my hand this 3d day of April, 1877.

WILLIAM H. BENNETT.

Wtnesses:

ISAAO J. MAOOABE, HENRY P. WELLS.

